PRIORITY NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OBJECTIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82R00129R000100070005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2003
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: MF

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DRAFT
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
SUBJECT: Priority National Intelligence Objectives
REFERENCES: A. USIS-M-2500 3 January 1963, item b.
B. USIB-M-2511 9 January 1963, item 5
C. NSCID No. 1, 18 January 1961
D. DCID 1/2, 15 September 1958
E. DCID 1/3, 9 January 1963
F. DCID 2/2, 26 June 1959
1. Pursuant to References A and B, a Special Committee has
reviewed the basic concept, purpose, and form of DCID 1/3 and
herewith submits its findings and recommendations.
2. The members of this Special Committee are Mr. Ray S. Cline,
Deputy Director (Intelligence), CIA; Mr. Allan Evans, Deputy Director
for Research, OR, Department of State;
Chief of Staff, DIA, Department of Defense;
25X1
Deputy 25X1A
Assistant Director for Production, NSA; and Mr. Ludwell Montague,
Board of National Estimates, CIA.
3. The Special Committee recommends that the United States
Intelligence Board:
a. Note the study of the subject in the Enclosure.
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b. Adopt Appendix A as DCID 1/3 (Revised June 1963).
c. Adopt Appendix B as an initial Supplement to the June
1963 revision of DCID 1/3.
d. Assign to the Board of National Estimates, in coordi-
nation with USIB representatives, continuing responsibility for
submitting to USIB an annual revision of DCID 1/3 and a quarterly
supplement similar the initial one proposed.
e. Request the USIB committees concerned (EIC, GMAIC,
JAEIC, SIC, COMOR, IPC, SIGINT4V to report to the Executive
Secretary of USIB the procedures adopted and actions taken or planned
to discharge their responsibilities with respect to the implementation
of DCID 1/3 pursuant to their respective Charters.
f. Direct the Critical Collection Problems Committee
(CCPC) to take cognizance of the collection actions taken or planned
in implementation of DCID 1/3, in accordance with the terms of its
Charter (MID 2/2, para. 1), and to submit its recommendations to
USIB as occasion may require.
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ENCLOSURE
THE FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIORITY
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OBJECTIVES
Contents
Page
The Requirements of NSCID NO 1
Concepts Underlying the PNIOs
Problems of Formulation.
Problems of Implementation
The Assignment of Responsibilities
Recommendations
Appendix A (Draft DCID 1/3)
Appendix B ( Draft Quarterly Supplement)
The Requirements of NSCID No. 1
1. NSCID No. 1., subparagraph 3 b, requireB the issuance of
DCIDs to provide "general guidance and specific priorities" for
the production of intelligence and for collection and other
activities in support thereof, including:
a. The "establishment of comprehensive National Intelli-
gence Objectives generally applicable to foreign countries and areas";
and
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b. The "identification from time to time, and on a
current basis, of Priority National Intelligence Objectives with
reference to specific countries and subjects."
2. DUD 1/20 "Comprehensive National Intelligence Objectives",
is intended to meet the first requirement specified above (sub-
paragraph a). The DCID is criticized as being all-inclusive (and
therefore of no practical utility), but that is precisely what the
NSCID requires. Amplified by the NIS Standard Instructions, which
are incorporated by reference, the DCID does fulfill the intent of
the NSCID, as revealed by its legislative history, and does make
formal provision for indispensable intelligence coverage of those
countries and subjects not singled out for special attention as
Priority National Intelligence Objectives (PNI0s).
3. DCID 1/3, 'Priority National Intelligence Objectives,"
is intended to meet the second requirement specified by the NSCID
(subparagraph lb above). The language and the legislative history
of the NSCID make it evident that PNIOs should be:
a. Selective, with explicit reference to specific coun-
tries and specific subjects.
b. The basis for special ("priority") attention and
effort. "Priority" may be interpreted in terms of order in time.
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In this context it should be understood to mean preferment in
the allocation of resources, without implying the denial of
adequate resources for the general and basic intelligence coverage
prescribed by DCID 1/2.
c. Subject to periodic revision ("from time to time"),
but also to constant review ("on a current basis").
Concepts Underlying the PNIOs
4. Prior to December 1954 the DCIII on Priority National
Intelligence Objectives was a list of seven highly generalized
?
topics related exclusively to Soviet capabilities and intentions
for military and political warfare. The present PNIO criteria
and format were developed during 1954 in response to demands for:
a. Broader coverage, in recognition of other major
concerns of the NBC.
b. More specific guidance than could be derived from
the generalities of the then existing DCID.
c. A means of distinguishing at least broad categories
of relative priority within an expanded and more specific listing.
5. The present concept presupposes that the bulk of the
intelligence required for the formulation and execution of
national security policy will be the product of normal intelligence
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collection and research pursuant to DCID 1/2. DCID 1/3 seeks to
provide priority guidance through the identification of specific
critical intelligence problems within the general body of the
intelligence required for that purpose, particularly those re-
vealed in the preparation of NIEs. For this reason, the task
of formulating the PNIOs has been assigned to the Board of National
Estimates in coordination with USIB representatives.
6. USIB identification of specific critical intelligence
problems within the general body of the intelligence required for
policy planning purposes is conceived to be but the first step
toward determination of the priority, if any, to be accorded to
specific collection requirements. Not every bit of information
somehow related to a priority problem will be required with equal
urgency; some may be procurable by routine means. The full
process requires further analysis by research pereonnel to de-
termine (a) the elements of information essential to the solution
of the problem indicated, (b) the elements already available or
readily obtainable through research, (c) the additional information
obtainable through routine collection, and finally (d) the residual
information of such critical importance as to warrant a priority
collection effort.
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7. Even when it is thus determined that a real and specific
priority collection requirement exists, problems remain with respect
to its consignment to one or more of the various and disparate
systems of collection. A priority requirement appropriate to one
system may be of no priority whatever with respect to another be-
cause unsuited to it. The PNIOs cannot be expected to provide auto-
matic solutions for such problems. They require consideration and
coordination among personnel familiar with the operational capa-
bilities of the various collection systems.
Problems of Formulation
8. The latest revision of DCID 1/30 dated 9 January 1963,
lists 47 PNIOs in four categories of relative priority. These
47 items vary greatly in scope and specificity. Most of the
subjects included might be considered the ordinary grist of the
intelligence mill (e.g., political stability and orientation,
economic development), the only effect of their inclusion being
to emphasize the special importance of such matters in the cases
of particular countries deemed to be of critical significance.
Intelligence problems related to Communist Bloc countries are the
subject of 27 of these PNIOs. The remaining 20 refer to 31 other
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The 27 Communist items have remained generally
stable through many revisions. There has been considerable
variation among the others from time to time.
9. It is evident that DCID 1/3 has been overloaded with
subjects which should have been left to normal intelligence
coverage pursuant to DCID 1/2. This is attributable to a wide-
spread lack of understanding of the concept set forth in para-
graph 5 above, and to consequent pressure by analysts, through
USIB representatives, to obtain priority listing for every matter
of more than passive intelligence interest, on the ground that
otherwise no attention will be paid to it. Obviously, if every
matter of active interest should be made a matter of priority,
the concept of priority would lose all meaning.
10. Another reason for the disparities evident in DCID 1/3
is confusion of purpose -- an attempt to provide a stable basis
for planning the allocation of research and collection resources
and at the same time to restrict the listing to specific current
problems (see DCID 1/3, Annex, pares. 3 and 4). For example,
the stability and orientation of the emergent states of Africa
will be a matter of continuing national security policy concern
-- there is obvious need for a greater allocation of research and
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collection resources to the coverage of this area, which until
recently was not the subject of much US intelligence interest.
The PNI0s, however, in order to avoid such a generality as "the
stability and orientation of emergent African states", refer only
to specific countries in which the current situation is (was in
December) deemed to be critical: namely, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana,
Guinea, Mali, the Congo, the Portuguese colonies, the Rhodesias,
and Kenya. Notably, this list did not include South Africa,
where a violent racial conflict is predictable, but is not deemed
to be imminent.
U. In the judgment of the Special Committee, these problems
should be met by redesigning ran 1/3 to serve as a basis for long-
term intelligence planning, excluding topics of current but
transitory interest (see DCID 1/3, Annex, para. 3). Under this
concept the DCID, to be reviewed and revised annually, would
attempt to look ahead for about five years and to identify the
really critical intelligence problems deemed likely to persist
or to develop during that time. Such guidance would have to be
expressed in broad terms, but nevertheless could explicitly identify
the subjects of primary concern with respect to particular coun-
tries (the USSR) or regions (Latin America). The DCID would
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